The present invention relates to safety containers. More specifically, this invention relates to safety containers of the type having removable lids that are intentionally designed to be difficult for children to open in order to gain access to the contents of the container.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacists, and others have long sought to provide safety containers for contents such as drugs and other potentially dangerous contents. The object of their search has been to provide a container that can be opened readily by an adult but not by a child.
One safety container that has existed for some time is the xe2x80x9cpush-and-twistxe2x80x9d container. The push-and-twist container requires that the person opening the container push down rather forcefully on the cap of the container and simultaneously twist the cap to unscrew it and move it to a position where it can be lifted off of the container.
One problem with the push-and-twist type of container is that the twist cap entirely separates from the container when the container is opened. The cap can be lost, and in any event, the separate cap requires effort to locate and place the cap back onto the container body in order to close the container. In addition, when the user has multiple such containers open, as is often the case for elderly persons who often must take more than one type of drug at a time, the user can mix-up the lids and place the wrong cap on the wrong container or, because of the effort required to keep track of the disparate caps and replace them on the correct container, simply leave the caps off of their containers. These types of mix-ups or failure to even close the containers defeats the very purpose of putting a safety cap or lid on the container at all.
Another problem with the push-and-twist container is that it requires only one pushing and twisting motion in order to open the container. A child need only figure out that one push-and-twist motion in order open the container or others like it.
Yet another problem with the push-and-twist container is that it has only one mode of closing and opening. Many people, however, rarely if ever have children in their homes. At the same time, they may be weak or suffer from coordination difficulties that render it difficult and perhaps even impossible to perform the push-and-twist motion. Even in the case of a healthy adult, the user may not want, and have no need to utilize, any more than minimal safety features on a particular safety container. For these and other reasons, these types of users may have no need, desire, or ability to themselves repeatedly engage in the substantial push-and-twist effort required to utilize the push-and-twist container. For these types of users, the push-and-twist and similar types of safety containers do not provide an adequate solution to the problem of providing a container that will be relatively securely closed when not in use, depending on the needs of the user.
One solution to these types of problems is the hinge-lid safety container, such as that shown is U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,146, entitled xe2x80x9cSafety Containersxe2x80x9d (xe2x80x9cthe ""146 patentxe2x80x9d). Because the hinged lid is secured to the container by the hinge, the cap is not lost, misplaced, or difficult to position adjacent the opening of the container when closing the container.
With the device shown in the ""146 patent the lid is opened by inserting a sufficiently long fingernail into a relatively small and hidden slot in a locking pin slidably mounted in the lid, and then pulling, with the finger nail, the pin out of its force-fit engagement with the upper lip of the container in order move the pin away from the force-fit engagement and the lid to rotate into the open position. The ""146 device is often easier for many seniors and others to use than the twist-and-pull container because, once the pin is pulled out and the cap is opened, the cap may be opened and relatively securely closed without resetting the pin.
The following prior art reflects the state of the art of which applicant is aware and is included herewith to discharge applicant""s acknowledged duty to disclose relevant prior art. It is stipulated, however, that none of these references teach singly nor render obvious when considered in any conceivable combination the nexus of the instant invention as disclosed in greater detail hereinafter and as particularly claimed.
The applicant has discovered that one way to render a container less likely to be opened by children is to preferably require two independent finger motions, at least one of which preferably requires some dexterity, preferably in addition to a third cap removal motion. The applicant has further discovered that a safety container should offer a capable adult the option of defeating certain safety features or steps that are unnecessary for containers used in, for example, a home unoccupied and not visited by children.
The applicant has invented a safety container having a locking pin slidably mounted in the container cover or lid to move between a locking and opening position. The lid has a tab detent or slot, and the locking pin has locking tab that is moveable between (i) an opening position in which the tab locking tab can move or slide into the detent to allow the pin to move with respect to the lid, and (ii) a locking position in which the tab cannot sufficiently penetrate the detent and allow motion of the pin with respect to the lid.
Preferably, the locking tab is rotatable in a plane perpendicular to the slide plane of the locking pin, and the lid is hinge mounted on the container. Preferably, the locking tab is resilient, and flexes about the periphery of a tab protuberance upon movement of the locking tab between its opening and lock-out position. Preferably, the locking pin includes automatic spring-biasing of the pin toward locking position. Most preferably, the spring is S-shaped, molded integrally with the locking pin, and has an end that engages the cover in order to bias the locking pin toward the locking position.
Preferably, the locking pin automatically slides into position to secure the lid in a securely closed position on the container by a single closing motion of the user""s hand pushing the lid toward the container body.
The present invention may be utilized to safely contain pharmaceuticals. It also may be used to more safely contain other types of hazardous materials, such as cleaning fluids or powders.
There are a number of other aspects of the present invention. They will become apparent as the specification proceeds. It is to be understood, however, that the scope of the present invention is to be determined by reference to the accompanying claims and not by whether all aspects of the invention summarized herein are included in a given embodiment.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a better, more versatile, easily manufactured, and economical safety container.
It is an advantage flowing from the present invention that it provides a container that is more easily utilized by senior citizens and others not requiring use of all safety features at all times.
It is yet an additional advantage of the present invention that it is less likely to be openable by children, particularly when all safety features are employed by the person who dispenses and by the adult who maintains or uses the container.
It is another advantage of the present invention that an adult may adjust the safety container so that it is easier to open and close, and re-open and close, etc., when access to the container by children is not a concern.
Conversely, another advantage is that the container may later be readjusted to again provide the highest level of safe closure (vis a vis children) when and if access by children becomes a concern.
Yet another advantage is that the present invention may be opened without actually completely separating the cap from the container and perhaps losing the cap or misplacing it with the wrong cap.
An additional advantage is that the user is less likely to fail to re-close the present container.
A further advantage is that present invention does not require great dexterity on the part of an adult or the use of a fingernail in order to open and close the cap.
A related advantage is that the present invention can be set to require two separate finger motions in order to then perform yet a third motion in order to open the container. This renders the cap quite difficult for children, and people who may not appreciate the danger of misuse of the contents, to gain access to the contents of the container without the aid of a capable adult.
It is also an advantage of the present invention that the cover or lid locking mechanism automatically locks the lid in closed position on the container with one simple hand motion and without need for difficult pushing and/or twisting motions by the user.
The present invention thus provides a safer, economical, easily manufactured, easily used, and versatile container for potentially hazardous materials.
There are other objects and advantages of the present invention. They will become apparent as the specification proceeds. It is to be understood, once again, that the scope of the present invention is to be determined according to the accompanying claims and not by whether a given embodiment achieves all the objects and advantages recited herein.